As the cost of living, which includes going to work and school, skyrockets, and no end seems to be in sight because US president Donald Trump doesn’t seem to know how to extricate himself from a war that he has foolishly allowed himself to be dragged into, many of us are starting to think of ways to reduce those costs.
Many government offices and services have shifted to 4-day workweeks, hoping that saving its employees from commuting to work 1 in every 5 days, or 20 percent of the time, will provide much-needed relief for those whose schedules have changed. That was an easy call for government offices, which routinely suspends work when the weather forecast is not favorable.
Some private companies have followed suit, but since most cannot afford to change their work schedules just like that, the majority of employees in the country still have to report for work at least 5 times a week, making the fuel price crunch hurt the private sector more.
For those who cannot work from home and have to drive, adaptation strategies include carpooling and trip consolidation, along with considering cheaper fuel sources, wishing for an EV, and commuting. The problem is that the situation doesn’t show any signs of getting any better, and with Trump failing to get the support of other nations to secure the Strait of Hormuz that Iran has successfully blocked, despite ‘losing’ the war, we might have to bear this burden much longer than the Americans advertised when their leader chose war.
It is during times like these that we see the wisdom and value of the 15-minute city, an urban planning concept where residents who are fortunate to live in one would have access to most essential services within a 15-minute walk or bicycle ride from their homes. Those of us who have walking or cycling as a viable option for the trip to work or school pleasantly find themselves better equipped to deal with this crisis.
However, for the majority of Filipinos, the 15-minute city is something that might be 15 years away, even if our government decides to make it an urban planning policy. What makes it difficult to promote or implement are our own recurring and persistent problems with education and employment, where both are generally available, but we generally have to go more than 15 minutes away from home if we want the good ones. At this point, the thought of our country being able to provide a consistently good quality of schools and/or employment within 15 minutes of most homes, seems like an impossible dream.
Maybe the current crisis can provide the inspiration and impetus for both government and the private sector to work towards such a goal. If you come to think of it, the infrastructure is already there. If the Department of Education can somehow level up the quality of education in most public schools, making it consistently excellent, then there would be no need for many Filipinos to seek out ‘better’ schools that are further away. As for employment, a more vibrant and sustainable economy should be able to ensure that quality jobs are available within 15-minutes of most homes in an urban setting. Because even if there are better paying jobs to be found further away, the non-cash advantages and savings of having a job that is walking or cycling distance from home should make it worth considering. If the math works, then it should work.
Whether the current fuel crisis is resolved quickly or not, our communities have to continue evolving to become more efficient and sustainable. That means reducing our dependence on fuel if possible, which means either going electric, which still requires and consumes resources and energy, or maximizing our human ability to walk. With fuel reserves uncertain and peace among nations no longer guaranteed, the towns, cities, villages, and families that are successfully designed and adapted to be less dependent on fuel will be the ones that are able to weather energy-related crises better.
Most of us could probably choose to live 15-minute city lives if we really chose to, because there are already schools and places of work sprinkled all around us. What would make the choice much easier is the quality of what is available, which right now is too inconsistent, forcing most of us to search further away from home, which always requires more time, money, and energy. If our government made it a priority to provide more quality options near as many homes as possible, the collective savings in terms of those resources are potentially significant.
If more of us lived in 5-minute cities, we wouldn’t hurt so much when oil prices skyrocket because everything we need is already walkable or bikeable. We would cut down fuel use significantly, and its residents who no longer have to commute or drive both ways would gain so much time for leisure and family. It would be a great energy conservation strategy if we could only pull it off.
Hopefully within 15 years?*
